PhD Candidate in Criminology

Millions of people worldwide are confronted with sanctions, and this number has grown substantially in recent decades. Yet our understanding of how these sanctions shape lives in the long term remains limited. Most existing research focuses on sanctions as isolated events, whereas many justice-involved individuals experience multiple and varied sanctions throughout their lives.

This project proposes a paradigm shift: rather than viewing sanctions as standalone events, we aim to examine their effects across the life course.

Are you interested in understanding which sanctions are imposed across individuals’ lives? Do you have the skills to conduct quantitative analyses and an interest in applying advanced methods to large-scale datasets? And do you enjoy conducting societally relevant research within an interdisciplinary team? Then you may be the candidate we are looking for!

What you will do
You will conduct research as part of the project ‘Escalation of Sanctions over the Life-course: Determinants, Consequences, and Inequality’, funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO). The aim of this project is to provide detailed insights into which sanctions are imposed during the life course of juveniles and adults, what their direct and indirect consequences are, and how these consequences differ across subgroups. Our ambition is to improve our understanding of what works, for whom, why, and when, thereby contributing to more effective and equal criminal justice system.

Your primary task is to conduct research and write a dissertation.

Your responsibilities include:

• Initiating and carrying out research within the VIDI project under supervision;
• Collecting and analyzing qualitative and/or large-scale quantitative data for the project (including CBS and WODC data);
• Writing (English-language) articles for publication in academic journals that will form your dissertation;
• Actively participating in the research group;
• Presenting research findings at national and international conferences;
• Participating in PhD training courses;
• Teaching duties (max. 10%).

Where you will work
The Faculty of Law is based in both Leiden and The Hague and, with over 7,000 students and approximately 600 staff members, is one of the largest law faculties in the Netherlands. The faculty is committed to innovative, multidisciplinary research and a constantly evolving curriculum that addresses key societal challenges. Our faculty is large enough to make an impact on both a national and international scale, yet small enough to offer a personal and engaging learning experience. In this way, we contribute every day to a safer and more sustainable world. Impact with law! For more information, please visit .

What you bring
We are looking for someone who is motivated to conduct innovative scientific research and who has affinity with the topic of sanctions. You hold a completed Master’s degree in a social science or another relevant discipline—such as Criminology or Economics—and have demonstrated interest in and experience with conducting (quasi-experimental) quantitative and/or qualitative scientific research. Experience with statistical software such as SPSS, Stata, and/or R is required. Research experience, a research master’s degree, pre PhD program, or command of the Dutch language is a plus.

You are able to work independently but also function well within a team. You have excellent command of English, in speech and writing. You possess strong communication and organizational skills, as well as good analytical abilities.

If you immediately recognise yourself in this profile, or if do you not quite meet all the requirements, but you believe that this is the right job for you, we look forward to your application!

What we offer
Our goal is to work together to create a transparent and inclusive work environment in which everyone feels welcome and appreciated. Our organisation is always evolving and we need your ideas for improvement and innovation to take us further. We want to devote attention to your personal development.

You can count on an enjoyable job within the socially relevant world of education and research. The University's challenging and international work environment is located just steps away from Leiden’s lively city centre or the bustling city centre of The Hague. We also want to work with you to devote attention to your health and vitality, for example with the fun activities we organise through Healthy University.

We also offer:

• The appointment will be made in accordance with the collective labor agreement of Dutch Universities. The starting date is negotiable, but preferably from September 2026. We offer a full-time PhD position (0.8–1.0 FTE), initially for one year, with the possibility of extension for an additional three years upon positive evaluation;
• A salary between €3059 - €3881 gross per month, based on a full-time appointment (38 hours) (PhD student);
• A holiday allowance (8%), an end-of-year bonus (8,3%), and an attractive pension scheme at ABP;
• Flexible working hours: as a standard, you are entitled to a minimum of 29 leave days on the basis of a full-time working week of 38 hours; you can also save for extra leave, for example by working 40 hours a week, and in this way accrue an extra 96 leave hours, or exchange 96 leave hours for a 36-hour week.
• Lots of options when it comes to secondary employment conditions; we can, for example, discuss options for paid parental leave. Within our terms of employment individual choices model, you can exchange leave days and/or salary for benefits such as an advantageous sports subscription and bicycle scheme;

For more information about employment conditions, see

What we value
Promoting an inclusive community is central to Leiden University’s values and vision. We strive to be an open community in which all students and staff members feel valued and respected, and are able to fully develop themselves. We consider an inclusive academic environment, where students and staff can share their experiences and viewpoints, to be essential for the development of talent.

Want to apply or find out more?
If you want to apply straight away, click the application button.
Want to apply immediately? Then click on the application button. Applications accompanied by a cover letter and CV can be addressed to Ms. S. Mattheus no later than May 28. The first job interviews will take place in early June.

If you would like more information about what the job entails, please contact dr. Hilde Wermink, at Het emailadres op academictransfer.com bekijken.

To help us get to know each other better, we follow a number of steps in the application procedure. For more information, see

• Acquisition in response to this vacancy is not appreciated. If you nevertheless choose to send us CVs, no rights can be derived from this. #LI-Hybrid